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This pro bet on himself. Now he’s in The Open

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3 weeks ago

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NORTH BERWICK, Scotland — A funny thing happened Sunday at the Scottish Open: after a star-studded leaderboard had built throughout the week, a whole lot of the best players in the world left … disappointed. 

Rory McIlroy was caught on camera berating himself saying, “I’m so bad at golf.” Chris Gotterup’s title defense ended in a disappointing one-over final round. Scotland’s own Bob MacIntyre held the solo lead on the final day, only to mutter under his breath across four bogeys in seven holes, surrendering all hope. There was more frustration than happiness at Renaissance Club, it seemed. And then there were those three pregnant seconds when we saw total despair. 

Johnny Keefer, 25, had just played the best golf of his season, finishing T3 and earning one of three spots remaining in next week’s Open Championship. He took pictures with the yellow flags that will dot the course at Royal Birkdale next week. He did interviews with the widest grin imaginable. And then he listened as an R&A staffer leaned in close with 10 words.

“Oh, one other thing, Johnny. Have ye entered The Open?” 

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Keefer’s face went from elation to anguish. Had he missed some deadline … for an event he was only hoping to play? His panic was palpable.

“Yeah, my heart rate probably spiked a little bit,” Keefer said moments later. “Probably could have played a little rookie card. There’s not many things that I know — he could have played a nice little prank on me.” 

Luckily, Keefer was assured, it’s all good, there’s a spot waiting for you. But now you do, indeed, need to formally sign up for next week’s Open, about 200 miles away on the west coast of England. The R&A were not out to play pranks. Rather, they were there to help make sure everyone had accommodations and transportation sorted. Keefer’s mind was still racing and non-committal when they offered him a late-night shuttle ride down to Southport. 

He’d be forgiven for being a step slow. Open Qualifying comes at you fast. And this was a week of newness for Keefer, who had never played links golf before July, 2026. He arrived Monday morning fresh off a redeye from the John Deere Classic, and instead of heading to Renaissance Club, he elected to make his links debut on the nearby North Berwick in 30 mph wind.

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“You kind of get off the plane and try to tire yourself out in Edinburgh,” he said. “Then try to tire yourself out more at North Berwick, which is kinda hard because you’re like eyes wide open, this is sick. Conked out and then played two practice nines out here.” 

Oh, and then 72 holes in 13 under par and a top-3 finish. 

What Keefer now reaps is the result of betting on himself, something plenty of other pros balked at this week. For one reason or another, a dozen Tour pros with some status had the right to enter the Scottish Open, but ultimately withdrew from the field, many of them to stay back and play their more native style of American golf at the ISCO Championship. Taylor Pendrith, Chad Ramey, Chandler Phillips, Adrien Dumont de Chassart. Whether they were in pursuit of all-important FedEx Cup points, less travel or just familiar golf, they took a familiar route this week. Keefer considered it, too, but opted for something newer, riskier, more invigorating.

“If you have a good week, it’s better off over here than it is over there,” he said Sunday night. By which he means, a good week with a bigger purse and more points on offer — that’s better. 

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“And yeah, it kind of paid off,” he continued. “It’s a little 2-for-1. Got more points and got a spot in The Open.” 

Where there’s even more money and points on offer. With that sorted, all that was left for him to figure out was where he’d be sleeping next week.

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Sports

5 players who are switching states ahead of India’s 2026-27 domestic season ft. Shashank Singh

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12 minutes ago

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3 August 2026

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The annual pre-season transfer window in Indian domestic cricket allows players to switch state associations as outstation or guest recruits under the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) regulations.

State teams are permitted up to three guest players to strengthen their squads ahead of the Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy, and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaigns. These transfers are driven by players seeking more game time, specialized roles, or leadership opportunities, while developing state teams aim to recruit veteran talents to bolster their squad depth.

The upcoming 2026-27 season features several notable moves, with prominent domestic regulars and IPL players shifting allegiances. Let’s take a look at five such moves.

#1 Shashank Singh

The Punjab Kings (PBKS) all-rounder Shashank Singh will turn up for Puducherry in the 2026-27 season after shifting base from Chhattisgarh. The Chhattisgarh State Cricket Sangh (CSCS) has already issued an NOC to the player.

Singh alleged that the state association didn’t support him while he was recovering from an injury that he suffered last season. He further claimed that the association questioned his commitment, saying that the batter only wanted to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

The 27-year-old added that CSCS officials didn’t give him any clarity over why he was left out of the Chhattisgarh Premier League and the team’s pre-season camp.

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Singh has played 21 first-class games for Chhattisgarh over the last seven years. He has also represented the state in 31 List A and 42 T20s.

#2 Yash Dayal

Royal Challengers Bengaluru fast bowler Yash Dayal will represent Chhattisgarh in the upcoming domestic season. He has already joined the team’s pre-season camp in Alur.

Dayal has not played any competitive cricket since the IPL 2025 final, after which he faced charges relating to sexual assault. The left-arm pacer was retained by Gorakhpur Lions for the upcoming UP T20 League. However, he didn’t feature in the 18-member squad the franchise announced following the auction.

The 28-year-old has represented Uttar Pradesh in 27 first-class, 23 List A, and 71 T20s, picking up 186 wickets across formats, including two five-wicket hauls.

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Dayal will look to start fresh for Chhattisgarh in the upcoming season and make his way back to the scheme of things.

#3 Dharmendrasinh Jadeja

Chhattisgarh is looking to build a strong squad for the upcoming domestic season. As a result, they have roped in Saurashtra‘s veteran left-arm spinner Dharmendrasinh Jadeja.

The 35-year-old spinner has been a stalwart in the domestic circuit, picking up 423 wickets in 100 first-class matches, including seven 10-wicket hauls and 26 five-fors. Jadeja also has 121 List A and 65 T20 wickets under his belt.

Jadeja is also a very handy batter in the lower order, accumulating almost 2900 runs across formats. He also has 10 fifties under his belt.

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Jadeja’s addition will certainly boost Chhattisgarh’s squad depth as they look to put in a spirited performance next season.

#4 Prasad Pawar

Mumbai wicketkeeper-batter Prasad Pawar has signed with Puducherry to play alongside Shashank Singh as a guest player in the upcoming domestic season.

Prasad has struggled for game time in the Mumbai squad, with Hardik Tamore playing as the first-choice wicketkeeper-batter. As a result, Prasad has decided to shift base to Puducherry in search of more playing time.

Prasad made his List A debut in 2021, while his first-class and T20 debuts came in 2023. Overall, he has represented Mumbai in 27 matches, scoring 591 runs, including one hundred and fifty each.

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#5 Jayant Yadav

An offspinner from Haryana, Jayant Yadav, has decided to join Chhattisgarh for the 2026-27 domestic season. He brings truckloads of experience along with him, having represented India in six Tests and two ODIs while picking up 17 wickets in total.

Yadav has 96 first-class, 74 List A, and 95 T20s under his belt, picking up 272, 68, and 61 wickets, respectively, including two 10-wicket hauls and 15 five-fors. He is also very handy with the bat in the lower order, scoring 4781 runs, including three hundreds and 22 fifties. The 36-year-old cricketer also has one Test hundred and fifty each to his name.

Chhattisgarh will rely heavily on the spin duo of Yadav and Jadeja to bring laurels for the team in the upcoming season.